Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Politico.com has reported that the Republican National Committee has spent more than $150,000 to clothe and accessorize Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin and her family since Sen. John McCain chose her as his running mate in late August, including $125,000 spent at Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman Marcus, as well as $4700 on hair and makeup. So much for the Wasilla Wonder's phony claim to be the "Walmart Mom."

Palin's shopping spree is just another glaring example of the McPalin smoke and mirrors routine, whereby the elite candidates adopt the mantle of the working class, while accusing the populist, working class candidates of being elitist. It's a case of the candidate with nine homes, thirteen cars and a $100-million family net-worth accusing the one-car, one-home-owning candidate with being out of touch with "average Americans." It's the self-proclaimed "Hockey Mom" pulling the fine Italian merino wool over the eyes of every real Walmart Mom who's worried about feeding her kids and paying the rent.

Let me tell you something. I've been a hockey dad for the better part of the last six years, traveling extensively at the crack of dawn to freezing cold smelly rinks all over the East Coast. There's not a lot of clothes from Saks and Neiman in those stands, nor are there a a lot of women who've ever stepped foot in such high-end stores. Many of these folks are living paycheck-to-paycheck.

To be sure, Palin's latest gaffe demonstrates a major disconnect with the candidate's "everywoman" message. She's a walking, grating-accent-talking contradiction, just like McCain and the rest of the GOP lot. It's all about "do as I say, not as I do," and it always will be with this hypocritical bunch.

And by the way, is it even legal to use campaign funds on lavish shopping sprees? Regardless, it certainly isn't ethical.

On another subject......TICKETS ARE NOW ON SALE for the November 17 Second Annual Adrienne Shelly Foundation Fundraising Gala at New York University's Skirball Center for the Performing Arts. Join us for a terrific evening of music, comedy and film, with scheduled appearances by Paul Rudd, Jeremy Sisto, Ken Burns, Cheryl Hines, Mary Louise Parker, Kristen Bell, Lili Taylor, Ally Sheedy, Marisa Tomei, Keri Russell, Gina Gershon and others. To learn more about our mission, to make a tax-deductible donation, and to purchase tickets, please visit our website. Every contribution helps preserve Adrienne's legacy, allows us to help others, and creates something positive out of the tragic loss two years ago of an incredibly loving and talented woman.

58 comments:

Anonymous
said...

New Business Operations under President Obama:

As of November 5, 2008, when President Obama officially becomes president-elect, companies will instill a few new policies which are in keeping with Obama's new, inspiring issues of change and fairness:

1. All salespeople will be pooling their sales and bonuses into a common pool that will be divided equally between all of you. This will serve to give those of you who are under-achieving a "fair shake".

2. All low level workers will be pooling their wages, including overtime, into a common pool, dividing it equally amongst you. This will help those who are "too busy for overtime" to reap the rewards from those who have more spare time and can work extra hours.

3. All top management will now be referred to as "the government." We will not participate in this "pooling" experience because the law doesn't apply to us.

4. The "government" will give eloquent speeches to all employees every week, encouraging its workers to continue to work hard "for the good of all".

5. The employees will be thrilled with these new policies because it's "good to spread the wealth around". Those of you who have underachieved will finally get an opportunity; those of you who have worked hard and had success will feel more "patriotic".

6. The last few people who were hired should clean out their desks. Don't feel bad, though, because President Obama will give you free healthcare, free handouts, free oil for heating your home, free food stamps, and he'll let you stay in your home for as long as you want even if you can't pay your mortgage. If you appeal directly to our democratic congress, you might even get a free flat screen TV and a coupon for free haircuts (shouldn't all Americans be entitled to nice looking hair?)!!

8:56am is typing in his sleep. Clearly, his nightmarish dreams have positively no basis in reality. Obama is a standard, doctrinaire liberal. But of course, 8:56am has no clue of political philosophy so he equates all liberals with Maoists...8:56am paints in awfully broad strokes...It is no different from crazy lefties who cry out that all Republicans are fascists...But 8:56am fails to note the irony that Republican government these last 8 years has actually come dangerously close to fascism whereas there's little basis for the fantasy Mr. Anonymous has laid out as Obama's likely course of action.

Why are those still in the Republican Party so bitter, angry, racist, ignorant white people?

I am white, but I am ashamed of the folks who attend McCain/Palin rallies. It's as if the country has moved on (at least we want to move on) and they want to cling to the 1950s. The 1950s were not good to women or minorities.

Now if the Repubs just don't steal the election by crooked voting machines (we see they are flipping to McCain in both FL and WV when voters pick Obama) or by not having enough ballots/machines, our once great country can move on.

9:10 - you are a disgrace and a sham. Mocking a candidate's ill relative (very classy) and citing the fringe nutcase Andy Martin says everything about you. Martin has been barred from filing any lawsuits in the Federal court system because of numerous frivolous and. preposterous lawsuits he filed for years. The clown even changed his name so people wouldn't realize it was the same guy. Is this really the best you can do? What a joke.

I don't recall anyone mocking the child with Downs Syndrome (unless you did) but, sure, that, too, is wrong. As to the pregnant teenage daughter, pregnancy is hardly an illness, but your VP candidate was exposed as an utter hypocrite - the do as - say, not as I do crowd. She praised her daughter's "decision" to keep the baby, but would take that same "decision" (another word for choice) away from others. The criticism is of Sarah Palin, not her daughter.

9:52 AM, Actually you are completely wrong. Palin praised her child's decision to NOT KILL HER BABY. Palin would never take that "same decision" away from anyone. One only has to look at one of Obama's few votes that was not "Present" to see that Obama is a supporter of infanticide and I'm sure you are too.

As far as you not seeing anyone mocking Palin's child with Down Syndrome I would have to assume that you do not read liberal websites like the huffington post and the daily kos. You also may not have noticed Ostroy's September 5 blog with a picture of a photoshopped and pregnant Bristol Palin.

Just how much do you think Barack Obama's expensive suits cost? Do you think he pays for them out of his pocket, or that the campaign covers the cost? Is that unethical, or are all liberals immune to your stupid trumped up charges even when they do the exact same things you accuse the other guys of doing. You live in a constant "credibility shot to hell" mode when you have two sets of standards.

My guess is that Palin had to purchase a new wardrobe for the last two weeks of campaigning to prevent the media from reporting on "issues the American people care about" like the horror of Sarah Palin wearing the same thing twice.

Anon 11:09...do you know for a fact that Obama buys expensive suits, spends the kind of money Palin spent, and uses campaign money to do it? Or are you just being a typical partisan Republican? Let me save you time, pal: you don't know...because there's not been even one report of such a thing on Obama's part. And, unlike you, if it did come out that Obama spent that kind of campaign money on expensivce clothes, I would of course condemn him for it. You see, people like me think certain things are wrong no matter which party/candidate does it. Only the foolish and the manipulated condemn it when it's the other guy and condone it when it's their guy.

A word of note to the other posters here who continue to engage in nasty, name-calling and generally devisive, offensive behavior. I'm warning you all, I will shut down this message board. This thing is for you, not me. I have my outlet, and the blog's not going anywhere. But if you want to have a forum where you can share your thoughts and opinions, then you better start treating each other with some respect or this board's history. I refuse to allow anymore the kind of crap that's on here. Some of you really oughtta be ashamed of yourselves.Andy

Yet another example of the phony populism of Sarah Palin! Although she's tried desperately to portray herself as a "Jane Sixpack," she clearly has more in common with the elite she is all to quick to condemn. The stench of hypocrisy permeates her and her cynical campaign!

No Andy, don't shut it down. mr. worm food here is too stupid to realize he's doing himself and the rest of his right wing nut cases no favors with his posts, and simply exposing how petty, trite, utterly heartless and pathetic they actually are. All in the name of Christ, of course. Just keep giving him rope. He and his are terrified, trembling with the reality of the coming tidal wave of Democratic rule. The crying and anguish that they will go through the morning of the 5th actually gives me great comfort.

worm food, the morning of November the 5th, I'll be laughing at you. Really. Laughing at YOU.

Actually, you're right. Before I shut the message board down I will have my intern systematically delete any and all posts by anyone--Dem or Repub--who acts like a disrespecful ass. This way, this board will remain for those on the right and left who know how to engage in civil debate. Consider yourselves officially put on notice. Sounds like grade-school shit...but hey, if the shoe fits...Andy

1:46 PM, I'm not a useless union member who requires a third party to retain my job, nor to negotiate who I work for, when I work, and under what conditions. I make much more than 35K.

My talking points are not from 1980. Just last week, Obama said that he was going to "spread the wealth around". Before that brainless Joe Biden stated that they are going to make successful people "patriotic" by taxing them more.

"...a McCain statement on the Bush tax cuts in 2001 in which McCain said, "I cannot in good conscience support a tax cut in which so many of the benefits go to the most fortunate among us at the expense of middle class Americans who most need tax relief."

"... a McCain statement from the 2000 campaign that "I really believe, that when you are -- reach a certain level of comfort, there's nothing wrong with paying somewhat more."

Guess mccain was a socialist too. Oh, and what's that flushing sound? Sorry, it's your argument going down the toilet. God it must suck to be an angry, paranoid conservative.

Ostroy I am so glad you're going to now remove really offensive and sometimes sickening comments. I am still upset by the post by the "baccio" or whatever the full name is, guy who wrote about -- I won't repeat the full offensive post - dead fetuses on the ground. It was a horrible image. Thank you for your consideration to those of us who are civilized. But please don't stop your blog. I love the exchange of ideas and the new information I get. I'm sure we all benefit no matter which side we're on.

The subject of this expenditure for Palin's wardrobe was the subject of almost the entire MORNING JOE this a.m.

The clothes were bought with campagin money; they do not belong to Palin and they will be contributed to charity after the campaign.

Probably one reason for the decision was they did not want Palin to suffer the sexism Clinton did with remarks like "She looked like a school bus in her yellow pants suit" made by Chris Matthews. You notice no one has yet made that kind of remark about Palin. It pays to hire profesisonals. They do make fun of her hair when it's up, but I've seen several young girls wearing their hair that way. It's becoming.

Someone wisely made Obama amend his "outfit" by wearing an American flag pin. He even wore it in this white tie outfit at the benefit.

As for the campaign spending the money on clothes --- I find it no more troublesome than OBama's campaign spending 800,000 to ACRON to get votes for himself.

Mr. Worm food - just remember, never let the actual facts get in the way of your silly argument.Palin praised her daughter's "decision." Her word, not mine. Ahh - accusing me of supporting infanticide. Nice touch. I assume I also hate the flag and apple pie, of course. Are you actually Andy Martin?

I guess brainless Joe has had too many "JOBS" is a three letter word moments...or maybe it was his idiotic statement that leaders need to know what they are talking about followed up with the statement that in 1929 President Franklin Roosevelt went on TELEVISION after the stock market crashed.

Andy, you really get the wing-nuts reading your blog, good on you. I love reading their jive and what crap they come up with. Come you people you can be more hateful then what you're showing, after all that's all you can relate to.

These people are so afraid of losing their power that they are just besides themselves not knowing what to do next to stop the bleeding. I can not wait until the 5th when we see these people jumping off bridges.

After 8 years of this failed party we're finally getting people that will be for the average people, I can hardly wait.

9"49 I think the average people of whom you speak know that the Democrats have "had the power" for the last two years That's makes you sub-average. And, I don't think most other Americans look forward to seeing fellow citizens jumping off bridges. That's does seem hateful.

But I must say you are an average Obama supporter who posts on this blog -- they are hateful, and many times express cruelty. Maybe with the handout OBama will give you you can enroll in a sensitivity class -- like the "elites" in your party do.

And let's not forget Palin's small shopping spree where many run of the mill shoppers shop. Palin finally came down to the run of the mill shoppers by only spending slightly over $9,000. I am so happy that she connects with poorer shoppers by experiencing the major decision of choosing between a $14.00 and a $22.00 sweatshirt.

Why do many call McCain a Bush lover when Nancy Pelosi absolutely refused to impeach Bush for his lies and other misdeeds? She and the Democrats failed when they finally got control. She did manage to see to it that her husband benefited financially from her position as Speaker.

Pelosi also managed to make sure that her constituents in the Samoa Tuna company were not included in the minimum wage increase. I guess she believes only Americans that work for companies that don't contribute to her re-election campaigns deserve a minimum wage increase. If you work for a company that does contribute to her re-election campaign, then you better look for another job.

During the MORNING JOE program about Palin's expensive wardrobe, one of the commentators said: and this is not an exact quote: If she didn't get better clothes she would have been accused of looking like "poor white trash." I'm distracted in the a.m. so won't risk mis-identifying the commenator who said that. That it was said by anybody shows the level of regard for "soccker moms" by elite Obama supporters.

Palin's kids don't even go to school, let alone play hockey. There is going to be a lot of crying when they have to give up (yeah right)their expensive clothing to charity after the campaign is over. Whether it is having taxpayers pay for her hotel rooms and airfare to having campaign doners pay for expensive clothing, the Palin family sure likes lapping up luxury items on someone else's dime. What would Pat Nixon think of this. She had to wear a cloth coat.

The phony outrage from the liberals regarding Palin's clothing expenses is ridiculous.

Democrats Jane Harman and John Kerry have a combined net worth of almost a billion dollars, yet both of them gladly accept their $160,000 Senate salaries. They should be more like NYC Mayor Bloomberg and work for a $1 a year.

Obama purchased land from Rezko's wife, who was making $37,000 a year. After Obama purchased this land, it rendered Mrs. Rezko's land unbuildable because it was too small according to the local zoning laws.

So how do you feel about Obama purchasing land for his mansion from a woman making $37,000 a year - leaving her with useless land?

I love reading the crap these wingnuts write, really I do. With every entry they just show how messed up they are. Why would they waste their time writing all of their hate here, I guess the GOP sites don't let them in.

Andy you're doing GREAT, keep these people busy with your truths so they can have a chance to spread their lies.

Ostroy -- I thought you were threatening to stop your blog because of the offensive "worm food"remark. Yet, far more egregious comments have been made since that post on this blog. Would you mind clairyfing the standard guidelines for us?

There is a persistent fallacy about "hard work and success." They are not synonymous. Many people in America work hard and never see any money. Ask the people who clean your office. Ask the checkout girl at your supermarket. Ask the sales clerk at Walmart. Conversely, all rich people are not hard workers. They either inherited their money or exploited the working class to get it.ALL THIS STUFF IS NOT TRUE.

It appears that mr. worm food can dish it out, but he can't take it.That goes for the rest of the GOP/Neocon/Republicans if they don't get things to go their way.So cry me a river, if you thugs don't like it.

Democrats and Republicans have different opinions about whether Sarah Palin would make a good national leader. But both parties agree that she makes a good national fundraiser. Who's side do you think she helps more ?